Living in the Spirit

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This is the 7th sermon in a series of messages on sanctification. The texts I used were Luke 11:13 and 1 Thess. 3:9-10.

Written Excerpts:

1 Thessalonians 3:9-10 (NKJV)
⁹  For what thanks can we render to God for you, for all the joy with which we rejoice for your sake before our God, ¹⁰  night and day praying exceedingly that we may see your face and perfect what is lacking in your faith?

Introduction:

As we look into God’s Word today we are continuing our discussion of sanctification, which we have been doing for 6 Sundays. To begin today I would like to read a fictional story created by Dr. John Oswalt in order to illustrate a passage found in Romans 6:16-18 which speaks about being freed from slavery to sin and made “slaves” to righteousness.

“Imagine this picture. Sitting on a curb along the street of a great city is a woman dressed in rags. Her hair hangs in greasy strings. Her skin seems impregnated with dirt. She stares around her with insolent eyes. Suddenly there is a flourish of trumpets. Around a corner comes the gilded carriage of the prince of that kingdom. He is a handsome young man of power and grace and all the princesses of the surrounding kingdoms have set their caps for him. As the carriage passes the spot where the woman is sitting, the prince suddenly calls out to the driver, ‘Stop!’ As the carriage slides to a stop, the prince says to one of the footmen, ‘Do you see that woman? That’s the woman I want to marry. Ask her if she is willing, and if she will come to live in the palace until our wedding day can be arranged.’

“Now the scene shifts. We go to the palace on the wedding day. We are in the bride’s chamber. And what do we see? There sits the bride cross-legged in the middle of the beautiful bed stuffing her mouth with candy. She is still in her rags; her hair still hangs down in greasy strings; her skin is still the color of earth. Around her are the ladies-in-waiting with the gown, the soaps, and the perfumes. At one side is the hairdresser. One of the ladies finally says hesitantly, ‘My lady, don’t—don’t you want to get ready?’ but the woman’s answer comes out harshly through her full mouth. ‘He liked me well enough when I was sitting in the gutter like this, so I guess he can marry me like this, too.’

“Yes, there was nothing I did to deserve his love. He saw me in the gutter, in my rags, and in my filth, and he said, ‘I love you. You are my bride.’ So what will I say? … ‘Well, rags were good enough for him in the beginning. I guess they will be good enough for him all the way.’ Never! Rather, I will say, ‘Oh, don’t you have some stronger soap? I need something that will get all this grime and grease off me. Don’t you have a wire brush I can use on my fingernails? And that is lovely perfume, but don’t you have something even more elegant? He deserves the best! How he could have ever loved me I don’t know, but today I will be all I can be for him.’ Everyone else looking at her said, ‘What a worthless wench.’ But the Prince saw his bride. Shall we persist in our rags, our grime—our sins? Not at all!.... We must not sin, because we cannot return again to the slavery of sin when he has called us his bride.” (Taken from Called to Be Holy)

This made-up story illustrates what seems to be the attitude of many professing Christians who are not concerned about the lack of transformation in their lives. I believe God’s Word is so clear regarding the change that spiritual birth brings about, that I would be so bold as to say this: “If a transformation has not been taking place in my life, revealing more and more evidence of it in my conduct and attitudes, then there really has never been a new birth take place, no matter how much I may have claimed it.”

We’ve been trying to show in the Bible how God has marvelously and graciously saved us from the consequences of sin and made us His own children. Or, to use the analogy we started with, He has chosen us to be His bride. But the Bible is also clear that God’s purpose and intention is to change us so radically that we can enjoy fellowship in His presence as He transforms us more and more into the likeness of His character. He takes us as we are, so that He can make us like He is.

Last Sunday, we spoke about the need for and the privilege of being baptized with the Spirit; a blessing that prophets predicted would come through the ministry of the Messiah. It is the indwelling Spirit of God that makes it possible for our stony hearts to be changed to hearts of flesh, and for our spirit of harlotry to be changed to a spirit of fidelity and loyalty to God and God alone.

However, it is even more extensive in its power and effectiveness. The Spirit of God can transform us so thoroughly that it affects our lives and our behavior day in and day out. It is a pattern of life that is lived in the Spirit.

Transition: What does it mean to talk about living in the Spirit and how is it manifested?

Proposition: We are going to look at Paul’s letter to the Thessalonians to discover the deeper need that they had, the message of hope that Paul offered, and the expected effects of this deeper life.

(Again this morning, I want to say I’m indebted to Dr. John Oswalt for many of the ideas that I will be sharing today, as has been the case all through this series.)

I.    The Need for a Deeper Level of Faith

A.  Some background information

One of Paul’s earliest letters (as was Galatians). These two letters being his earliest, give us a glimpse at a typical pattern he repeats over and over in subsequent letters. Gives us insight into Paul’s basic concern for new converts in the early days of their Christian walk of faith.

Paul begins with expressions of prayer for them and commendations to them.

B.  Commendations for Their Current Spiritual Status

They are commended for:

·     Their response to his preaching (1:6-10)

·     Their joy in their new-found faith (1:6)

·     Their response to opposition and persecution (1:6)

·     Their faith is reported by others who witnessed it (1:8-9)

C.  The Lack in Their Faith

Paul has commended them for several reasons in chapter 1. He has reviewed his own ministry among them and his ardent desire to return and visit them in chapter 2. And in chapter 3 he notes his decision to find out how they’re doing by sending Timothy, who has returned with glowing reports.

We might expect Paul to say that now it is no longer necessary for him to come. But that is not what he says. Rather, he says he is earnestly praying that God will grant him the opportunity to come to them and “perfect what is lacking in their faith.”

“lacking” – a. The basic sense “to come too late,” “to fail to attain;” b. With reference to circumstances, hysteréō means “to lack.” (e.g. rich young ruler); c. The most common sense in the NT is “to be in want.” This is the prodigal’s plight in Luke 15:14; (TDNT: Abridged in One Volume.)

So Paul is identifying a lack or want that still exists in their spiritual development. Paul realizes that the new Christians need to take “the next step of faith” to trust God for a deeper work of the Spirit in their lives.

II.  The Hope for a Deeper Level of Faith

Paul not only expresses a knowledge of what they lack, but he expresses hope for its achievement; that what they need is definitely available to them.

A.  Hope Expressed in Paul’s Tone

Paul’s statement is one of expectation and anticipation. He intends to come and convey to them a message that will provide an additional understanding and experience in the grace of God. What they had experienced and “achieved” in faith so far was great, but God had more.

So Paul wants to “perfect what is lacking.”

“perfect” – The fundamental meaning is to put a thing in its appropriate condition, to establish, set up, equip, arrange, prepare, mend. (The Complete Word Study Dictionary, Zodhiates)

Paul anticipates the time when he can teach them more spiritual truths and lead them into a greater level of love and holiness.

B.  Hope is Based in God’s Work

The Apostle is optimistic that they would be able to experience a whole new level or capacity of love toward one another just as they had witnessed in Paul’s life. He is also optimistic that they could be established (made firm or solid) in holiness to a level of being blameless (from our previous discussions regarding perfection, = all that it was meant to be, nothing defective).

The verbs that are used in verses 12 & 13 are in the Greek verb tense that indicates completed action rather than action that is continuous and ongoing. They are also in a verb form that expresses a strong wish or possibility, which is indicated by the English word “may.”

So Paul’s desire to come and see them is for the express purpose of providing or supplying what is still lacking in their faith, means that God can grant them a whole new level of love and a deeper life of holiness that will prepare them for the coming of the Lord; whenever that may be.

 (Oswalt) The fact that Paul is presenting this message in the context of a “lack in their faith” shows that Paul is not merely giving them a “pep talk” and encouraging them to try a little harder. If God’s will for His people to be holy in their behavior is to be realized, it will take more than simply trying harder… It is matter of the Spirit doing His work, and that is a matter of faith.

Paul has warned both the Galatians and the Romans about the legalism and hypocrisy that results when we rely on human efforts to be righteous simply by “trying harder.” When the Holy Spirit does His work in us it produces a life with some noticeable effects.

III. The Expected Effects of the Deeper Life

What are the areas that would be affected if they would exercise this level of faith?

A.  Sexuality (4:3-8)

Sexual desire is one of the strongest desires that God gave to us. However, unless God’s Spirit does something for us, we will be mastered and destroyed by the inappropriate expressions of sexuality.

The practices of the pagan world often included gross immorality as a part of their idolatry. God’s people are to be marked by a distinct separation from the pagan world by understanding that God intended for our sexuality to be sacred, and expressed only in the context of marriage as He designed it.

The same kind of faith they exercised to be forgiven can now be exercised further to give them victory over sexual passions.

B.  Brotherly love (4:9-10)

Urging them (and us) to exercise a level of faith that enables us to overcome the “flesh” which turns everything back upon itself and prevents us from freely giving ourselves away without always questioning whether we will get our love back with interest or not. (Compare 5:12-15)

Paul wants us to forget the question, “What can these people do for me?” and instead ask, “What has God given me for these, the idle, the timid, the weak?” (see 5:14)

C. Self-Discipline (4:11-12)

It is not enough to “turn over a new leaf.” We must exercise faith and surrender to the power of the Spirit to deal with self-serving fleshly appetites.

D. Right Beliefs (4:13-5:11)

Earlier in chapter 3, Paul says that his desire was for them to be established blameless in holiness whenever Jesus appears. But now in chapter 4-5 he seems to be clarifying some of their misconceptions about the second coming. It’s as if he is saying that they must avoid the opposite extreme of thinking that their beliefs don’t really matter as long as their hearts are right. So he gives them some important instruction regarding the return of Christ.

Even though the return of Christ is the subject here, we are taking it in the broader context of previous chapters to say that living in the Spirit causes us to take care that our doctrines and beliefs are truly consistent with the revelation of God’s Word.

(Oswalt) Right living rests upon right doctrine, and right doctrine is not right unless it results in right living.

Conclusion:

(Oswalt) A famous story tells of a poor man who dreamed of taking a journey on a great ocean liner. He saved his money carefully for many years and finally calculated that he had enough money to buy the ticket. But when everything had been added up he realized he did not have enough money left over to pay for the kind of sumptuous meals he had heard they served on ocean liners. So he took what he had and bought a large box of soda crackers and some cheese and took it on board with him.

When the rest of the passengers went to the dining room for their meals, this man stayed in his room eating his crackers and cheese, just counting himself fortunate to be having this experience at all.

But on the last day, he determined that he would have at least one of those wonderful meals, so he took all the money he had left, hoping it would be enough, and went to the dining room. Imagine his surprise and chagrin when he was told by the steward that they had been holding his place at the table all week because the price of the meals was included in the price of the ticket.

This describes the state of far too many Christians. The life of the Spirit is theirs; it was purchased for them at the cross. Yet they struggle on with their “crackers and cheese” when a sumptuous feast is spread for them. Why is this the case? Because in God’s economy you cannot possess what you do not have the faith to ask for.

Do you believe God has this life for you?

Let us sing the song in our red hymnals: #193

There Is Sanctifying Power